ECOWEEK 2026

The ECOWEEK event series on sustainable design started 21 years ago and has visited more than 30 cities in 18 countries around the world, and hosted more than 200 workshops. Its 2026 edition was co-organized by SINCERE in Romania, and addressed the relationship between architecture, landscape, health, circular economy and sustainability. It included a series of interactive conferences with public discussions, lectures and keynote speakers open to the public, intensive architecture and landscape workshops, that focused on sustainable design, urban planning and landscape design with the central theme of Gardens and Public Spaces that Heal. In addition, the TalkingBuildings as an advocacy tool.

> Watch some impressions from the workshop!

SINCERE Ostrava workshop 2026

A 2-day workshop dedicated to the Ostrava pilot site, and the application of the SINCERE innovative renovation technologies (see poster. After a guided tour at the impressive site of the MUSEum+ and the SINCERE pilot building, the future education center of the museum, the workshop participants had the chance to get in touch of the work of key actors and stakeholders (see the programme. The workshop ended with a very interested citizen science workshop where SINCERE researchers grouped with selected local actors to discuss key challenges in the renovation process of cultural heritage buildings from different perspectives. The output will now deed the further design of the SINCERE's citizen science process.

> Watch the short video report!

SINCERE conference & advanced workshop 2025

A 3-day international conference and advanced workshop for conservation, architecture and engineering professionals titled "Innovative & Sustainable Mortars for Structural and Thermal Retrofitting of 20th Century Buildings". More than 70 people participated in the scientific conference and around 30 people experienced hands-on the different SINCERE innovations, followed by in depth workshops around the SINCERE pilots.

> Watch the short video report!

7th fib Congress Lisbon 2026

SINCERE partners PoliMi and BGU organized a special session at the 7th fib Congress with a focus on multifunctional low-carbon cementitious composites for structural and energy retrofitting of the existing structural and building portfolio, sharing the experience of the SINCERE project. The session addressed academics, considering also the multi-fold aspects of the discipline which are tackled; presenting the outcomes of a Horizon Europe project, which has in its ambition to deliver four full scale pilot applications, is also oriented to professionals working in the field of retrofitting of existing concrete structures and building as well as of concrete cultural heritage, together with decision makers and stakeholders, whose contribution of the discussion can also bring ideas to foster the acceptance of new materials in public tenders.

CHNT 30 ICOMOS Vienna

SINCERE organized a special session at CHNT 30 on Innovation in Sustainable Restoration of Cultural Heritage Buildings, inviting researchers and professionals from a wide range of different fields related to the restoration of cultural heritage buildings.

> Watch the recorded live streaming!

7th Historic Mortar Conference - SINCERE special session

SINCERE organized a special session and exhibition at the 7th HMC conference in Padova, Spain. SINCERE researchers gave eight paper presentations on SINCERE innovations, which were also showcase in a permanent Exhibition Booth designed by NetHood.

Digital Horizons: Embracing heritage in an evolving world

SINCERE organized a special session on Computational models concerning climate change and its effect on cultural heritage assets, encouraging interdisciplinary collaborations, bringing together expertise from archaeology, materials science, conservation, environmental science, engineering and data science.

In-situ techniques in preservations of building heritage (summer school)

The Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) hosted the 2nd International Summer School in Ljubljana from 1 to 3 July 2026, focusing on the preservation of built heritage. The three-day event brought together science, cultural heritage, and international collaboration, with an emphasis on advanced non-destructive investigation techniques. Participants had the opportunity to learn from leading national and international experts and explore cutting-edge approaches in heritage science. Panayotis Antoniadis from NetHood opened the technical programme of the summer school with a presentation on the #TalkingBuildings methodology.

> Read the full agenda of the summer school
> Download the slides of the SINCEFRE presentation

The spirit of material: Building sustainability (part 2)

This was the second part of a series of international student workshops on sustainable design bringing together students from three architecture/design schools in Israel (HIT), Cyprus (Frederick University), and Greece (Democritus University of Thrace). As in the first workshop in Xanthi, the Talking Buildings Game was introduced as a participatory design methodology, this time with additional specifications, like the dialogue format, and the identification of tensions.

> Watch the introduction to the TalkingBuildings Game in Xanthi (including selected student inputs)

SINCERE @ECSA 2026

SINCERE was honored to participate in the bi-annual European Citizen Science Association's conference with two contributions related to the Talking Buildings Game as a citizen science methodology, in the Rhodes pilot presented at the Showcase Pitch Session and a new case study in Zurich presented at the panel Studying ambivalent cultural heritage through Citizen Science.

European Heritage Days 2025

After the successful online event for the European Heritage Days 2024, the SINCERE team went this time to the ground at the Rhodes midieval town with a two-days event organized by Synergy-Rhodes, NetHood, and the Ministry of Culture. The event included a unique guided tour supported the associationa of tourist guides, and a world-cafe workshop with citizens, described in detail here. The innovative #TalkingBuildings citizen science methodology has taken shape and a dedicated platform is now developed at talkingbuildings.net.

> Watch the video overview of day 1 - experiential walk
> Watch the video overview of day 2 - world cafe.

The spirit of material: Building sustainability

An international student workshop on sustainable design, From Sustainable Design to Circular Economy and Talking Buildings, bringing together students from three architecture/design schools in Israel (HIT), Cyprus (Frederick University), and Greece (Democritus University of Thrace). SINCERE will participate in the workshop by introducing the Talking Buildings Game as a participatory design methodology, which will be applied as a complementary tool in all working groups.

> Watch the introduction to the TalkingBuildings Game (including selected student inputs)

SINCERE Talking-Buildings workshop

A participatory workshop offered in the context of the Design Month Graz 2025, and co-organized on behalf of SINCERE by ECOAMA/ECOWEEK & NetHood.

> Watch the video teaser from Graz

Heritage in Dialogue - European Heritage Days 2024

In the context of the European Heritage Days, the SINCERE project organized an online dialogue between the Neoclassical School in Rhodes (Greece) and the Museum+ in Ostrava (Czechia). This playful event took place on 27 September 2024 (see the original announcement), and it its success motivated the creation of the dedicated web site talkingbuildings.net.

> Watch the short video teaser or the full recording.

04-11.09.2026  
 @ Nairobi, Kenya

Invited talk by Prof. Ruben Borg

Prof. Ruben Borg from the University of Malta had the opportunity to share the outcomes of the SINCERE project at the RILEM Association 80th RILEM Annual Week and AACTA Conference organised between the 4 -11 September 2026, in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was hosted by the University of Nairobi in collaboration with Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) and the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM, Germany). This first RILEM Annual Week held in Sub-Saharan Africa was an excellent opportunity to share our project research results in advanced materials and their application in modern heritage with structural and energy retrofit, digital technologies and structural monitoring in adaptive reuse - including pilot buildings in Madrid (ACCIONA), Rhodes (Greece Ministry of Culture), Holon (Holon Instutute of Technology), Ostrava (MUSEum+) and the special demonstration site in Inwadar by the Malta (Faculty for the Built Environment - University of Malta).

04-05.06.2026  
 @ Bologna, Italy

Keynote talk by Prof. Ruben Borg

Prof. Ruben Borg (University of Malta) was invited as Keynote Speaker by the Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna (founded in 1088) Dipartimento di Architettura - Università di Bologna at the prestigious NEXT BUILT 2026 International Conference. He delivered the Keynote Lecture: “Moving towards a Resilient Built Environment under Climate Change”, in the heart of Bologna at Palazzo Magnani, under the exceptional 1590 Carraci Frescoes, to an international audience of scholars and researchers.

13-17.04.2026  
 @ Ghent, Belgium

Keynote talk by Prof. Liberato Ferrara

The SINCERE innovations were presented by Prof. Liberato Ferrara (Politecnico di Milano) at his keynote talk in one of the most important conferences in the area, RILEM, and more specifically at the RILEM 2026 Spring Convention. After his keynote talk Prof. Ferrara was nominated as a RILEM Fellow from one of the world's leading scientific and technical organizations in the field. This outstanding recognition stands as a powerful testament of the scientific work carried out in the SINCERE project.

> Read the press release by Politecnico di Milano

Public art and urban experience conference

Ioannis Karatasios is Researcher, member of Ceramics and Composite Materials Group, at the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of NCSR “Demokritos”. He is the coordinator of the SINCERE project. In the context of the conference Public art and urban experience at the National Gallery of Athens on 14 April 2024, he gave a presentation on the relationship between nanotechnology and public space, which included a short introduction to the objectives of the SINCERE project.

Smart Innovation Symposium #4

up2metric gave a talk on "Digital Technologies for Green Buildings", highlighting aspects of the tech we built in this innovative project, including a smart interoperable platform integrating BIM and Digital Twins, and immersive XR technologies for sustainable renovation and retrofitting of CH buildings.

SINCERE @Ecomondo

Ecomondo is the key event for green and circular economy. It is the meeting place where industrial groups, stakeholders, policy makers, opinion leaders, local authorities, research bodies and institutions come together and put in place the key elements that define the strategies for the development of EU environmental policy.

> Download the A5 cards summarizing the four SINCERE innovations.

Science in the City Malta

Science in the City (SitC) has established itself as one of Malta’s largest national festivals and the only science and arts festival hosted in Malta. It is part of the EU’s European Researchers’ Night (ERN) initiative

SINCERE booth at HMC2025

SINCERE was honored to showcase in a permanent booth at the HMC2025 conference a selected set of material innovations for the sustainable renovation of cultural heritage buildings. More specifically, four panels were created with technical information and material samples for Phase Change Materials (PCMs), Hemp mortars, Self-healing admixtures, and Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) mix designs.

E-CODOMH Conference 2025

The 1st e-CODOMH CONFERENCE 2025 – Building a Sustainable Future for Construction will take place on 11 & 12 November at NCSR Demokritos, in Athens, Greece. This conference aims to become a key reference point for the construction ecosystem, fostering dialogue, innovation, and collaboration among institutions, businesses, and professionals in the sector. If you're involved in or passionate about sustainable construction, this is an event you won’t want to miss.

Built4People Stakeholders Forum 2025

The 4th Built4People Stakeholders Forum brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers to discuss innovation-driven affordable housing and Europe’s green and digital construction transition. Organised by the European Commission, CINEA, and the European Construction & Sustainable Built Environment Technology Platform (ECTP), the forum enabled meaningful exchanges across the full value chain, supporting the development of sector-relevant innovation clusters across the EU - vital for replication and expanding stakeholder engagement. SINCERE was represented by Christos Stentoumis from up2metric. You can watch the live streaming here (password: Bu25ReC1510F)

Sustainable Places 2025

Sustainability targets and climate change objectives cannot be met without addressing buildings and the built environment at the building, district and urban scale to include our transport and energy infrastructures. Renowned for showcasing results coming out of the EU Horizon 2020 and EU Horizon Europe Framework Programmes via the participation of cutting-edge research and innovation projects, the scope of SP is captured directly in its name. It involves designing, building and retrofitting the places we live and work in a more sustainable way.

STAR*track webinar

Members of the European built environment gathered for a webinar hosted by STARtrack Bult4People to learn about ECTP - European Construction and sustainable built environment Technology Platform's #AffordableHousingInitiative, featuring presentations from ECTP and three EU-funded Built4People projects: DeCO2 Horizon Europe Project, SINCERE, and FORTESIE EU Project. During the webinar, ECTP introduced the Affordable Housing Initiative, and the EU-funded projects demonstrated how they are developing solutions to support the sustainable renovation and decarbonisation of Europe’s affordable housing stock, highlighting practical approaches and technologies that contribute to scalable, inclusive, and climate-resilient housing.

New European Bauhaus lighthouse demonstrator

The event is titled Shaping Sustainable Futures: Innovating for People-Centric Cities and Communities, co-organised by NEBULA, Craft Cities, AEGIR and INGUMA projects. SINCERE was there and discussed the potential of the building-stories platform in joining forces between Built4People projects.

NebulaB4P Clustering event for all 30 projects under Destination 4

The SINCERE project’s coordinator Ioannis Karatasios introduced the project at the clustering event organized by NebulaB4P, and hosted by CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency in Brussels.1 This inspiring event brought together representatives from all 30 projects funded under Destination 4 Built4People: "Efficient, sustainable, and inclusive energy use," as part of the Horizon Europe Work Programmes for Climate, Energy, and Mobility. The topics covered in the event included:1) Digital solutions for building operations, 2) Inclusive and resilient environments, and 3) Renovation for low-emission buildings.

SINCERE innovations

The 5th plenary meeting of the SINCERE project marked the end of the 2nd year of the project, an ambitious journey toward the sustainable renovation of 20th-century built heritage, summarized here by our coordinator Ioannis Karatasios. We had the chance to bring together all SINCERE innovations balancing heritage preservation with climate resilience and plan the next steps toward achieving true impact.

SINCERE Encounter at the Inwadar demonstration site

In the context of the 4th SINCERE General Assembly we will be hosted by the University of Malta and encounter SINCERE's new demonstration/exploitation site in Malta. We are excited to meet this very interesting small building overlooking the mediterranean sea. A two-storied spotting light tower, erected in 1930s and located on the east coast of Malta, in Zabbar. It is currently planned for restoration and will be repurposed as a study facility, potentially serving as an observation laboratory for research and educational purposes.

SINCERE Encounter at Algete pilot site

The Algete encounter was of a different nature compated to the Rhodes and Ostrava encounters, since it took place in the context of SINCERE's 3rd general assembly. So, a field trip to ACCIONA's Algete demo site was organized for the whole consortium.

> Watch the 3min video report

SINCERE Encounter at Ostrava pilot site

SINCERE experts met with local stakeholders (National Heritage Institute, Heritage Conservation Department) and participated in a guided visit and in-depth exchanges on the SINCERE installation on the demo site in terms of performance, aesthetics, and legal aspects. It was a very important meeting in order to gain a good understanding of the limitations and potential of the demo site and sketched a realistic plan for the implementation of the pilot.

> Read the programme

SINCERE Encounter at Rhodes pilot site

Two encounters were organized: 1) with technical experts and policy makers 2) with cultural organizations, with representatives from the Perfecture (building owner), the Rhodes Municipality, and eight cultural organizations.

> Read the main points made during the discussions

SINCERE kick-off meeting

> See the video teaser of the first encounter between the SINCERE partners